I built 10 bumper cars - and they're street legal
A FAMILY has become used to turning heads while driving their fleet of 10 bumper cars on California’s roads. In this week’s episode, vehicles are taken from the amusement park to the open roads. But Tom Wright, a builder, hadn't planned on taking the first fairground ride he worked on to the streets. He told us: “The purpose at the time was to restore it to its original lustre and put it in a showroom.” However, before finishing the project he decided that he also wanted the cars to be mobile. So, Tom used his engineering skills to move them onto the open road. He explained: “I decided to convert it to a six-speed Kawasaki 550cc motor.” Making these historic vehicles roadworthy was a challenge for him, some having been out of use for 80 years. “They were sitting outside riddled with rust, 18 inches on some of the cars and had to be cut off," Tom said. The bumper cars have also been added with some special features, such as wood exteriors to reflect the area they drive through. “The wheels are custom golf cart wheels because this is a California beach community," he said. Acquiring the first car, finding the right components, making the frames and sending the bodies for paint took a year to complete. All this hard work was worth it in the end, as they are “extremely fun to drive”. When Tom takes the 10 bumpers for a spin with friends and family they turn the heads of locals. “The smiles, waves and the honks make the hobby worth doing.”
2026-01-11T19:36:26Z